Gun turret for bombing airplanes



P SfTARAPCZYNSKI 2,358,115

GUN TURRET FOR BOMBI NG AIRPLANES Filed Nov. 9, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet lInventor Sywz m Tara x2 700' v 9 m Q L\ W Z .-l liar/1431\- Sept, 12,1944. s. TARAPCZYNSKI GUN TURRET FOR BOMBING AIRPLANES Filed Nov. 9,1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1944. s. TARAPCZY NSKI 2,358,115

GUN TURRET FOR BOMBING AIRPLANES Filed Nov. 9, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5llllll' Inventor Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITE S PATENT GUN TURR-ET FORBOMBING AIRPLANES Application November 9, 1942, Serial No. 465,046

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to. airplanes, and more particularly togun turrets for bombing airplanes and the like.

By way of explanation, bombing airplanes are usually equipped with a topforward, side, and a rear underslung gun turret, respectively. Thegunner in the latter is most exposed to antiaircraft fire and to attackfrom fighter planes from all sides, and further to being crushed if theairplane is forced to make a crash landing when the landing gear is shotaway.

Having the foregoin in mind, the principal object of my invention is toprovide simply constructed, practical means for mounting the rear gunturret on the fuselage, or body, of the airplane so that it may berevolved completely around the fuselage at will in opposite directions,respectively, into any desired position, whereby, should the topforward, or side gunners be disabled, the lower rear gunner may takeover and fire in all directions and also maneuver the turret to eitherthe side, the top, or bottom of the fuselage for protection or firing asoccasion may require.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, allof which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will bereadily understood when the succeeding description and claims are readwith reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a bombing airplane equippedaccording to my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 22 of Figure1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation drawn to an enlargedscale,

Figure 4 is a view in section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 anddrawn to a further enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in top plan, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View in edge elevation of the rack.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improvements have been showntherein as forming part of the equipment of a bombing airplane,conventionally illustrated as sufficient for the present purposes, Idesignating the fuselage or body, 2, 2' the landing gear parts, 3 one ofthe wings carrying a motor 4, 5 the tail elevators, 6 the fin, I therudder, and 8 the forward top gun turret.

According to my invention, the fuselage, or body, I is equipped in theusual location of the rear gun turret with an annular, hollow,transversely square bearing unit 9 fitted around the fuselage I andcomprising, preferably, a pair of opposed, side-by-side, annular membersI0. The members Iii are of right angled form in cross section and spacedapart laterally to provide a pair of spaced apart, right angled, outertracks II on the unit 9 spaced outwardly of the fuselage, and a pair ofoutstanding flanges I2 at the inner edges of the members Ii] which maybe bolted, as at I3, to the fuselage I.

Surrounding the unit 9 is an annular, toothed rack I4 havin a toothedside edge I5 and an internal transversely T-shaped flange I6 extendingaround its other edge in between the tracks II and fitting within saidtracks to bear against the same and be revolved therein. Roller bearingsI1 are suitably mounted in the unit 9 between the members II! to engagethe inner face of the flange I6.

A dome-shaped gun turret I8 of the usual well known type having a floorI9 and an entrance trap door 20 is rotatably mounted on the outer faceof the rack I4 for rotation about a central axis at a right angle to theaxis of revolution of the rack. As shown by way of illustration, themounting for the turret I8 comprises a pivot bolt 2| extending throughthe floor I9 of the turret I8 and through the rack I4.

Means are provided for revolving the rack I4 and turret I8, at will,comprising a reversible motor of any well known type, designated 22, andwhich is suitably mounted in the fuselage I, as on the fixed bracket 23,with the armature shaft 24 thereof extended outwardly through thefuselage I and equipped with a toothed drive pinion 25 meshing with theteeth I5 of the rack I4. The motor 22 may be energized from any suitablepower source in the airplane and under suitable controls, for instance,such as the pushbutton type switch, represented at 26, in the turret I8,which may be wired in circuit with the motor 22 as by the wires 21.

As will now be seen, the turret I8 may be revolved into any desiredangular position around the fuselage I, for instance, as shown in dottedlines in Figure 2, for rotation in any set position about its axis onthe rack I4. Thus, the rear gunner can fire in all directions fromeither the top, bottom, or sides of the airplane. Any suitable means maybe utilized for rotating the turret I8 about its axis.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein re- 7served to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

What I claim is:

The combination with the fuselage of an airplane, and a gun turret, ofmeans to mount said turret on said fuselage for revolution around2,353,115 o the fuselage and including a pair of opposed the same inopposite directions, respectively, into selected set positionscomprising an annular transversely square bearing unit surrounding beingrotatably mounted on said rack member,

a motor in said fuselage, and gearing between said motor and saidtoothed side edge of said rack member.

SIGMUN'D TARAPCZYNSKI.

